Spray trap



Jan.ll, 1949. H, OHN 2,458,909

SPRAY TRAP Filed April 22, 1947 INVENTOR. V HARRY J.JOHN

BYG

Patented Jan. 11, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE I I 2,458,909 r SPRAY TRAP 7 Harry J. John, Philadelphia,,Pa. Application April 2.2, 1947, Serial No. 743,213

' solaiins. (c1.1s3 94) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, amended April 30, 1928; 370 ,0. G.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described and claimed, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to vapor columns or towers and is more particularly concerned with the provision of a spray trap at the top of a column or tower to separate and discharge vapor that comes in contact with and is scrubbed by the liquid and to return the liquid down the column.

Objects of this invention include the provision of a spray trap of the type mentioned in combination with a vapor column which is highly efflcient in operation and simple in construction.

These objectives and others are accomplished in accordance with this invention hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of this invention, with parts broken away; and

Fig. 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing in which like numerals designate like parts, the embodiment illustrated comprises a tube H having an expanded section I2 and a plurality of disc assemblies [3, l4, and 15. Additional disc assemblies may be provided, the number shown being merely illustrative. The upper section 16 of the tube extends through the bottom of a chamber, such as the hollow sphere l1. Another tubular member l8 extends through the top of the sphere and terminates at a point below the end of the upper section 16. An aperture i9 is provided through the upper section [6 at a point just above its line of intersection with the sphere II.

The upper end of the tubular section I6 and the lower end of the member [8 are cut at an angle and the openings face away from each other to prevent a direct communication between them. The angular out, however, is not indispensable, although preferred.

The disc assemblies each comprise circular foraminous members 20, preferably non-corrodible, such as stainless steel mesh. Two of such circular members are preferred for each assembly, one disposed above the other and bowed outwardly, substantially as shown. These circular members are held in place by means of a pair 2 of split resilient rings 2|, which, under tension, bear against the inner walls of the tubular member ll. These rings are preferably of rectangular cross section to prevent twisting.

In operation, vapor enters at the bottom of the tubular member I I and comes in contact with liquid on the foraminous members 20. Each of these contacts results in a scrubbing action. A part of the liquid and gas in then forced into the upper chamber H. The vapor discharges through the tubular member I8 while the liquid falls to the bottom where it passes out through the aperture l9 into the upper section IB and hence returns to the scrubbing chamber.

It is to be understood that any number of disc assemblies may be used depending on the amount of scrubbing desired. The rings 2| not only are useful for the purpose of holding the circular members 20 in place, but also to collect liquid descending along the wall of the tubes and direct its flow to the members 20.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a vapor column, a liquid-film vapor contact scrubber comprising a vertical tube having horizontally disposed foraminous liquid catching and liquid film retaining members, means for holding said members in position, an enclosure above said tube forming a chamber, the upper end of said tube being disposed through the bottom of said chamber, said tube having an aperture through the side thereof at a point within and near the bottom of said chamber, and an outlet tube through the top of said chamber, the ends of each tube within the chamber being open and facing in a direction away from the open end of the other tube, the foraminous members comprising two adjacent bowed screens, the center of the upper screen being bowed upwardly, the center of the lower screen being bowed downwardly.

2. A vapor scrubber and spray trap for a vapor column, comprising a tube for connection at one end to the vapor column, a vapor scrubber section communicating at its lower end with the tube, the scrubber section comprising an expanded chamber having a liquid catching and liquid film retaining foraminous member mounted transversely thereof, an upper vapor outlet conduit for said scrubber section, a liquid spray trap comprising a second expanded section into which the conduit extends, the conduit having an aperture, through the side thereof, within and toward thebottom of the second expanded section, for return of liquid trapped to the scrubber section, the foraminous member comprising two adjacent bowed screens, one screen being bowed upwardly, the other screen being bowed downwardly.

3. A vapor scrubber comprising a vertically disposed chamber having a lower inlet for vapor and an upper outlet for vapor, a horizontally disposed foraminous liquid catching and liquid film retaining member comprising two bowed screens the peripheral edges of which are adjacent to each other, the upper screen being bowed upwardly, the lower downwardly, means to sup- V port the edges in the chamber and to hold the edges in place, comprising upper and lowersplit resilient rings which bear against the chamber v a wall, the supporting and holding means alsoserving to seal the space between the edges of the screens and the chamber wall to constrain the vapor to pass upwardly through both screens; 1

HARRY J. JOHN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

right) page 465; specification No. 9-152.

Catalog of Braun, Knecht, Heimann 00., Cat. No. 27, 192 7 page 513', No. 51,150. 

